Roof ventilator



Oct. 20, 1959 R. HATCHER 2,909,113

ROOF VENTILATOR Filed Sept. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. ROBERT L. HATCHER ATTORNEYS Filed Sept. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. HATCHE/P A r TOPNE VS ROOF VENTILATOR L. Hatcher, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Noll Manufacturing Company, a corporation Robert My invention relates to means especially useful in connection with buildings to serve as a ventilator affording access from within the building to the exterior thereof. It is especially concerned with vent pipes or ventilator outlets on buildings of various sorts especially those having roofs which may bedifferent in pitch from completely flat to any of the customarily used inclines.

In the construction of buildings such as dwellings, factories and the like, the roof slope varies from one construction to the next over a relatively wide range. The variation is from flat or substantially so or with an almost imperceptible pitch in some cases to marked slopes such as pitches of 1 in 12, 3 in 12 or more for other constructions. It has heretofore been necessary to supply roof ventilators constructed to match the particular pitch of the individual roof. While this is in some respects satisfactory, it requires the maintenance of a relatively large inventory. Also, the actual pitch of the finally finished roof does not always correspond precisely with the theoretical value and hence preconstructed roof ventilators are sometimes installed with the outlet members not precisely vertical or if precision is requisite, it is necessary to shim or reconstruct or otherwise vary the individual ventilator installations.

It is therefore an object of my invention toprovide a roof ventilator which can be accommodated easily to the exact roof pitch actually existing in a given installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roof ventilator which will serve in any one of several different installations at varying pitches.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a roof ventilator which can readily be utilized in place of roof ventilators of the sort now customary.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a roof ventilator which can be installed on a particular roof and can there be adjusted and set for its permanent position.

A still further object of the invention is in general to improve roof ventilators.

Other objects together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiments of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roof ventilator installed 'on a fiat roof and constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion being broken away to disclose some of the interior construction in cross-section.

Figure 2 is a view comparable to Figure 1 showing other portions in cross-section and with the ventilator installed on an inclined roof.

Figure 3 is a plan of the structure shown in Figure 1, a portion of the figure being broken away to reduce its size.

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a detail of construction, the plane of the view being indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side elevation in full lines showing a modified form of roof ventilator constructed in accordance United States Patent 0 ice with my invention and in broken lines showing the roof ventilator in a different position of installation.

Figure 7 is a cross-secton, the plane of which is indi cated by the line 77 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a still further modified form of roof ventilator constructed in accordance with my invention in full line showing being with the parts in position for a fiat roof and the broken showing being with the parts in position for a slanted roof.

Figure 9 is a cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 99 of Figure 8.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1-5 inclusive, there is provided a roof ventilator including a base plate 6. This is a'generally planar, metallic structure usually of rectangular form in plan and having a central opening 7 therein. The material of the base plate is customarily galvanized iron but can be fabricated of any other sheet metal or of plastic.

Surrounding and of substantially the same contour as the opening 7 is a sleeve 8. This is preferably constructed of material comparable to that of the plate 6 and is formed to provide a truncated cone approximately circular in a right section. The sleeve 8 is preferably arranged so that one of its conical elements at the end of one diameter is much shorter than the conical element at the other end of the diameter in order to provide the side elevational contour as shown in Figure 1. The sleeve 8 is preferably secured to the base plate 6 by any suitable means such as the customary sheet metal seam or can be welded or otherwise aflixed thereto.

Pursuant to the invention, the sleeve 8 on a transverse diameter at a convenient point between the base and top thereof is provided with means forming pivotal supports. Conveniently, these supports take the form (Figure 5) of struck out or projected portions 9 displaced from the otherwise regular surface of the sleeve and are prominent enough to form suitable bearings.

Adapted to rest on the bearings so formed and to pivot thereon, when free, is a tube 11. This preferably is a truncated conical or circular cylindrical form constructed of sheet metal or material like that of the base plate 6 and at its lower edge rests and pivots upon the outstanding members 9 at the opposite sides of the sleeve 8.

In order to hold the tube 11 inappropriate position on the sleeve, the tube is provided with struck out portions 12 and 13, respectively, defined by slits in the material of the tube and which are displaced from the general surface thereof. Cooperating with these members are flexible straps 14 and 16 of blendable material such as sheet metal. At their lower ends the straps 14 and 16 are secured adjacent the base plate 6 to the sleeve 8 by means of rivets 17 and 18 or other comparable means. The straps are passed through the outstanding portions 12 and 13. When the tube 11 is rocked on the supports 9 to an appropriate attitude with respect to the base plate 6, the deformable straps 12 and 13 are bent over, as,

shown in Figure l, tosecure the tube and sleeve in their selected or set position.

Since both the tube and the sleeve are hollow, they form in effect continuations of the opening 7 in the base plate 6. To permit the issuance of fluid passing through the tube and sleeve and to prevent the entrance of the elements into such a passage, the tube 11 adjacent its upper end is provided with a plurality of spacer straps 19 situated at suitable intervals around the periphery of the tube 11 and secured thereto by rivets 21. The straps serve to support a weather cap 22 in a position overlying the passageway through the tube and sleeve and also, overlying the opening 7. The weather cap 22 is conveniently.

fabricated of sheet metal formed into a conical shape subof the tube.

'Ihe straps.19 areextended and their outermost extremities are bent and secured by rivets 23 to a baflle 24. This is conveniently a cylindrical sheet metal form appropriately disposed to afford egress of gases from within the'rroof :ventilator but. tozpr'ecludezthe direct impingement of crosswindsion theoutlet of-thesleevel l. The entire;weight of .the baffle-24, of. the weather cap'22, and of the sleeve 11 is borneuponxthe projections 9 and also the contactingpart onparts. of the sleeve 8.

Conveniently, the weather capZZ isflxed in'position by beingtucked under. tabs 26 struck up from the material of the straps 23. The tabs are then bent over against the upper surface of the cap so as tohold it firmly in position althoughpermitting its removal :when the tabs 26 are bent out of the way. In-the use of this device, it isnormally supplied with thelstrapsil i .and'16 in unbent condition. If'the unit is to be installedon a flat :roof, it is positioned as shown in Figure land the straps 14 and 16 are bent over inthe fashion indicated to hold the parts in the selected location.

If the unit is to be installed on a roof having a slope as shown in Figure 2, the same stepsin installation are followed exceptthat the tube is differently oriented with respect to .the sleeve and the straps--14 and 16 are bent at diflerent positions. To assist the user in bending the straps to correspond with the pitch or slope of the roof, each of the straps-14 and 16 is preferably provided with indicia 27 applied in any convenient pattern and having in some instances the same numbers as are included in the measure of the roof slope. These indicia are preferably installed in reverse order on the straps so that the user by setting the two straps and bending them at the same numeral adjacent the top or bottom of the portions 12 and 13 will orient the tube-with respect to the sleeve at an angle commensurate with the indicated roof slope. The straps are capable of being bent and straightened a number of difierent times so that the same ventilator can be applied successively to roofs having different slopes and can be appropriately set and held in each instance.

In general, a ventilator of one design can be utilized for various different installations ranging from flat roofs to roofs of substantial slope. The configuration of the tube is sufficiently like that of-the sleeve so that the joint therebetween permits of little leakage. What leakage there is of gases outwardly is generally immaterial. So far as ingress of weather is concerned, the sleeve extends upwardly into the-tube far enough so that rain or snow even though blown by a substantial wind cannot readily penetrate the joint and cannot travel up the sloping side of the sleeve to get to the interior passageway.- Thus, the tube is readily situated on the sleeve in any one of an infinite number of different angles with respect thereto and in each instance supplies a s-ufiicieutly tight joint for commercial purposes. The upward extension of the sleeve within the tube is adequate to keep out even the most adverse weather.

As shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, the structure need not be generally circular in cross-sectional contour. In some instances it is desired to have a relatively elongated contour. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, there is provided a structure in which thegreatest dimension or length runs across the roof with the short dimension being in the direction of the roofslope. In this instance, the parts are precisely the same as before except for their generally elliptical cross-sectional contour in a generally horizontal plane. The sleeve 31 is considerably wider than it is long and is formed as before with the exception that each side is provided with a pair of-straps 32 and 33 as well as 34 and 36. In thisway a firm anchorage of the tube 37 with respect to the'sleeve can be accomplished. The remainingpart of the construction including the weather cap 38 is substantially the same as before. Thus, when the tube 37 is oriented with respect to the sleeve 31 about the pivot means 39 and is then fastened by-bending over the variousstraps32 and 33 as-well as 34 andf36, the

4 parts are held in location for proper installation upon either a flat roofor one having the indicated degree'of slope or a greater or lesser slope Within the capability of the device.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9 a. similar arrangement is provided except that the largest cross-sectional dimension of the parts is in the directionof the roof slope whereas the small dimension of the parts is crosswise of the roof. In this instance, the sleeve 41 is mounted on the roof plate 42 as before and has outstanding projections 43 to support in part a tube 44 carrying a weather top.46. The straps 47*and 48 on one side of the unit, which are duplicated by straps 49 and 51 on the other side of the unit, are arranged with somewhat longer members 52 and 53 corresponding to the members 12 and 13 to permit the device to be oriented either in a flat fashion or at a substantial angle and then by the bending of the straps to be anchored in set position.

In all of the forms'of the device there is provided a roofventilator effective for installation on roofs of any desired degree of slope which can be set at the time off-installation to have the proper arrangement and orientation and with the parts held firmly in position. for satisfactory service.

What is claimed is:

1. A roof ventilator comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a flexible sleeve having the shape of a truncated cone secured to said base plate around said opening, means on said sleeve forming pivot supports, a flexible tube telescoped with and substantially abutting said sleeveand engaging one side only of said supports, said tube being tiltable with respect to said sleeve on said supports, means interengaging said tube and said sleeve for holding said tube against said one side only of said supports, and a cap on said tube overlying said openmg.

2.- A roof ventilator comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a flexible sleeve having the shape of a truncated cone secured to said base plate around said opening, a flexible tube telescoped with and substantially abutting said sleeve and tiltable with respect thereto, projections on said sleeve and engaging the bottom edge of said tube for limiting the approaching telescoping movement of said sleeve and said tube, manually deformable straps engaging said sleeve and said tube for holding said tube and said sleeve together against separating telescoping movement in any relative tilted position thereof, and means on said tube overlying said opening.

3. A roof ventilator comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a-flexible sleeve having the shape of a truncated cone secured to said base plate around said opening, projections on opposite sides of said sleeve forming pivot supports, a flexible tube overlapping and substantially abutting said sleeve and disposable with the bottom edge of said tube resting upon said pivot supports, and deformable straps on said sleeve engageable with said tube and constituting the sole means for holding said tube in position resting upon said pivot supports.

4. A roof ventilator comprising a base plate having an opening therein, a flexible sleeve having the shape of a truncated cone secured to said base plate around said opening, aligned projections extending from opposite sides of said sleeve, a flexible tube overlying and substantially abutting said sleeve and disposed with the bottom edge of said tube resting upon said projections for rocking movement of said tube relative to said sleeve about one side of saidprojections as a fulcrum, and a pair of deformable straps engaging said sleeve and said tube at points between said projections for holding said bottom edge against said projections in any rocked position of said tube on said sleeve.

5. A roof ventilator comprising a planar base plate having an opening therein, a flexible sleeve substantially of truncated conicalshape secured to said base plate around said opening and extending therefrom with the axis of said sleeve at an angle to the plane of said base plate, a pair of projections aligned on a diameter of said conical sleeve parallel to the plane of said base plate projecting from the sides of said sleeve, a flexible tube having a right cross-section substantially the same in shape as that of said sleeve and of a size to telescope over said sleeve with the edge of said tube substantially abutting said sleeve and resting upon said projections, and means for holding said sleeve and said tube with said edge resting upon said projections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dawson et a1 July 25, Lord June 8, Filkins Feb. 24, Rubin June 25, Goldstein June 6, Jenson et al. Nov. 30, 

